Air-relief valve.



N0. 693,431. 7 I I v .Patented Febfll, 190.2.

. M.l P. SBOUBN.-

Alm naux-:F vALvE. (Appucaein mela sgpt. 1;. 1so1.4) (uq Madam 4 hwgUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

MILLARD P. OSBOURN, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VARREN WEBSTERAND COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AIR-RELIEF VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,431, dated February18, 1902.

Application iiled September 1ll 1901. Serial No. 75,002. (No model.)

T0 alt'whom t may concern:-v

Be it known that I, MILLARD P. OsBoUR'N, of Camden, county of Camden,State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Air- ReliefValves,of whiehthe following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to air-relief valves; and it consists of theimprovements which are fully set forth in the following specificationand are shown in the accompanying drawings.

It is the object of my invention to provide an air-reliefvalve adaptedto eiect the constant discharge of air from the pipe or apparatus withwhich it is' connected under changing conditions or varying pressures.

In feed-water heaters in which a partial vacuum or low pressure ismaintained in the heater by drawing out the air released by thecondensation of the steam much difficulty is experienced in eifectingthe constant discharge of the air from the heater under all conditionsand also in preventing the formation of an excessively-low pressure orpartial vacuum in the heater.

My invention relates to a triple-acting relief-Valve adapted to effectthe discharge of the air under normal conditions'and without appreciablewaste of uncondensed steam, but provided with means to effect a wideropening of the valve when the pressure in the heater increases beyondthe normal low pressure desired or when the pressure in the heater fallsbelow the normal.v p

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa vertical sectional view of an air-reliefValve embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the sameon the lineA A of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of afeed-)vater heater, showing the application of my valve thereto.

The valve-body dis provided with two nipples b b,adapted to beconnected,respectively,

'with the heater c or device to berelieved of air and with a pipe d,leading to a pump or other exhausting apparatus.

e is a movable stem extending through the valve-body and preferablyguided in the cap or bonnet f, through which it may project, as shown.This stem carries a valve-piece g,

having an air passage-way h communicating wlth apassage-Way 'L in thestem leading to the outlet-ni pple b. The valve-piece g is provided witha check-valve j, controlling the air passage-way h. As shown,'thevalve-piece g is provided with a boss g', which is perforated 55 to formthe air passage-Way h and isenlarged on the interior to form a seat hand space for the' check or ball valvej. A 4

The check or ball valve is so arranged that when lifted from the seat hby an excess of 6o pressure on the inlet side leading to the heater c orother device it will openj the air passageway hi to the outlet b. Asshown, the valvepiece g is threaded on the 'end of the stem e, which isnotched, as at e', so that the ball j 65 maybe lifted into contactwiththe end of the stem e withoutsealing the air passage-wayt'. Between thevalve-piece g and thebody a is a second valve-piece 7e, movableindependently of ,the valve-piece g. As shown, this 7o Valve-piececonsists of a ringenoircling the valve-piece g and closing the'annularspace between it and an annulariiange la Within thebody.Thisvalve-piecekisfurthershown. carried by a spider-frame Z,

.able upon the stem e.

fm is a spring bearing on the valve-piecet and acting to normally retainit closed. AS shown, this spring bears at one end onthe valve-piece leandat the other end against a 8o washer m' within the bonnet f,controlled by an adjustable thimble m2 in the bonnet. By adjusting thethimble m2 the tension of the spring m may be adjusted.

n is a spring between the movable-stem e Y and the valve-piece la. Asshown, thisspring bearsat one end upon thespider-frame land at the otherend against an adjustable nut o, threaded on the stem e, by theadjustment of which the tension ofl 'the spring n may be 9o regulated.The adjustable nut o may be locked in adj usted'position bythe usuallocknut o. R

Normally the tension of the spring'fn will hold the stem e up, with thevalve-piece g closed against the valve-piece k, which is in turn heldclosed upon the flan ge 71; and valvepiece g by the spring m. The checkj will be normally closed by gravity. If now there is any slight excessof pressure in the inlet b, roo it will open the check j and permit theair to be vented into the pipe d through the passagc- Y guided and mov-75 A way 71, t without disturbing the valve-pieces g and 7c. This actionwill be sufficient under normal conditions to permit the escape of airaccumulating at such a rate as would normally take place in a feed-waterheater and to maintain the desired normal low pressure therein.

If for any reason the pressure in the heater should become excessive orabove the desired normal, this pressure acting on the valvepieces g and7c will compress the spring m and lift the valve-pieces g and 7c untilthe pressure is relieved. If, however, for any reason there should be anexcess of pressure in the outleti. e., too low a pressure in the heateror inlet side-the excessive pressure acting on the valve-piece g willcompress the spring n and open the valve-piece g until the normalpressure is restored. This opening of the valve-piece g under theseconditions takes place because the spider Z, against which the lower endof the spring n rests, is held against downward movement by its seat7c'. The small passage-way 72 t', controlled by the valve `7', issufficient for the discharge of the air under normal conditions and willnot permit the escape of appreciable volumes of uncondensed steam.

The passage-way h t' constitutes the normal thoroughfare for thedischarge of air under normal conditions, while the passageway formed bythe seat-flange 7c constitutes a larger and normally closedthoroughfare, which is controlled by the double acting valve devices g7c to open the larger thoroughfare when the norm al differential isdestroyed by an excess or deficiency on either side.

While l have shown and described the valve device as applied to afeed-water heater, itis obvious that it may be used with any pipe orapparatus from which the air is to be constantly discharged or in whicha uniform pressure is to be maintained.

The details of construction shown may be varied without departing frommy invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

l. A triple-acting air-relief valve consisting of a valve-bodyhavingathoroughfare for the passage of air under normal conditions, anda larger thoroughfare for the passage of air under abnormal conditions,an automatic valve-piece to control said normally acting thoroughfare bythe differential pressure, and double-acting valve devices controlled bythe dierential pressure to control said larger thoroughfare and to openit to the passage of air When the normal diiferential is destroyed by anexcess or deciency of pressure on either side.

2. An air-relief valve consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfarefor the passage of air under normal conditions and a larger normallyclosed thoroughfare for the passage of air under abnormal conditions, anautomatic valve-piece to control said normally acting thoroughfare bythe differential pressure therein, an automatic valve-piece to controlsaid larger thoroughfare and open it upon an excess of pressure on theinlet side, and an automatic valve-piece also controlling said largerthoroughfare and partially opening it on a deficiency of pressure ontheinlet side.

3. An air-relief valve consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfarefor the passage of air under normal conditions and a larger normallyclosed thoroughfare for the passage of air under abnormal conditions, anauto matic valve-piece to control said normally acting thoroughfare bythe dierential pressure therein, an automatic valve-piece to controlsaid larger thoroughfare and openit upon an excess of pressure on theinlet side, and an automatic valve-piece also controlling said largerthoroughfare and partially opening it on a deficiency of pressure on theinlet side, and means to independently adjust the tension of theautomatic-valve devices controlling said larger thoroughfare.

4. An air-relief valve, consisting of a valvebody having a normallyclosed thoroughfare, double-acting automatic valve devices to controlsaid thoroughfare and openit to the passage of air when the normaldifferential isdestroyed by an excess or deficiency of pressure oneither side, said valve devices being provided with a small thoroughfarefor the passage of air under normal conditions, and an automaticvalve-piece for controlling said small thoroughfare by the differentialpressure therein.

5. An air-relief valve, consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfare,two valve-pieces each partially closing said thoroughfare and controlledby the differential pressure therein to partially open said thoroughfarerespectively when there is an excess or deficiency of pressure on theinlet side, said valve being further provided with a small thoroughfarefor the passage of air under normal conditions, and an automaticvalve-piece to control said small thoroughfare by the differentialpressure therein.

6. An air-relief valve, consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfare,two valve-pieces each partially closing said thoroughfare and controlledby the differential pressure therein to partially open said thoroughfarerespectively when there is an excess or deficiency of pressure on theinlet side, said valve being further provided With a small thoroughfarefor the passage of airundernormalconditions,and an automatic valve-pieceto control said small thoroughfare by the dierential pressure therein,and means to independently control the tension of said valve-pieceswhich control said normally closed thoroughfare.

7. An air-relief valve consisting of a valve` body having athoroughfare, a valve-piece partially closing said thoroughfare andcontrolled by the differential pressure therein to open when there is anexcess of pressure on the inlet side, a second valve-piece normallyclosing the remaining portion of said thor- IOO IIO

oughfare and controlled by the differential pressure therein to openlwhen there is a deiciency of pressure on the inlet side and providedwith a small normally acting thorough- Y piece to control said smallthoroughfare by fare for the passage of air when said valvepieces areclosed, and an automatic valvethe differential pressure therein.

8. An air-relief valve consisting of a valve-A body'having athoroughfare, the valve-piece 7c opening toward the discharge side andpartially closing said thoroughfare, a spring/nr normally retaining saidpiece k closed, the valve-piece g closing the remaining portion of saidthoroughfare and opening toward the inlet side, said piece g beingprovided With a small thoroughfare for the normal escape of air, thespringn normally retaining said pie ce g closed, and an automatic valveto control said small thoroughfare'by the differential pressure therein.l

10. An air-relief valve consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfare,the valve-piece 7c opening toward the dischargeside and partiallyclosing said thoroughfare, the valvepiece g closing the remainingportion of said ,thoroughfare and opening toward the inlet side, saidpiece g being provided With a small thoroughfare for the normal escapeof air, the movable stem c carried by said piece g, the sprin g nbetween the stem e and the valvepiece 7c, and an automatic valve tocontrol said small' thoroughfare by the differential pressure therein.

l1. An air-relief Valve consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfare,a movable stem within said valve-body, a valve-piece carried by saidstem and partially closing said thoroughfare, a s econd valve-piececlosing the remainder of said thoroughfare, a spring between said sternandthe second valve-piece,

said valve being provided with a small normally open thoroughfare forthe passage of air when said valve-pieces are closedand an automaticvalve-piece to control said small thoroughfare by the differentialpressure therein. f

12. An air-relief valve consisting of a valvebody having a thoroughfare,a movable stem Within said valve-body, a valve-piece carried by saidstemand partially closing said thoroughfare, a second valve-piececlosing the remainder of said thoroughfare, a spring between said stemand the second valve-piece,

said valve being provided with a small nor-L mally open thoroughfare forthe passage of air when said valve-pieces are closed, and an automaticvalve-piece tocontrol said small thoroughfare by the differentialpressure therein, a spring m bearing at one end upon thesecond-mentioned valve-piece, andan adjustable thimble m2 carried by theValve-body and bearing on the other end of said spring. p 13. Anair-relief valve consisting of a valvebodyhavin g a thoroughfare, anannular valvevpiece 7c fitting within and partially closingsaid-thoroughfare, a spring m bearing on said valve-piece lo, avalve-piece g tting Within the annular piece lc, the movable stemecarrying said piece Zr and the Astem e, said valvepiece being providedwith a small thoroughfare for the passage of air when. saidy pieces gand it are closed and an automatic valvepiecej to control saidsmallthoroughfare` by the dilferential therein.

In testimony of which invention I have here- Witnesses:

AUGUST SEEMAN, F. Jos. MILLER.

SoV

